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America Under Attack: Former NATO Supreme Commander Gen. Wesley Clark Discusses Strikes Against United States

Aired September 11, 2001 - 15:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We have now joining us live, from Little Rock, Arkansas, former NATO commander Gen. Wesley Clark.

Gen. Clark, you and I talked a little bit earlier today about what's happened. I know you have sources. Have you learned any more about -- we have been looking at pictures of horrific evidence of what happened, but you have learned any more about suspicions, information, what might have been behind this?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, FORMER NATO SUPREME COMMANDER: Actually, I know there will be a great deal of effort under way to find out who could have contributed to this, and there are various groups that could have been part of it. These groups often change their names and have interlocking memberships, so it will take time to run this down.

But I think it's clear, with the hindsight of a few hours, how well coordinated this attack was: that it was launched from multiple airports, that it picked aircrafts that had the largest possible fuel loads, to increase their explosive capacity, that the people who were involved knew how to take over aircraft and fly them into the targets, and clearly, they had some idea of the symbols of American power that they wanted to strike.

So I think we have to allow some time for our military to work through this. I'm reassured, in talking to people inside the Pentagon, that the command and control system in there is totally intact, all of the and men and women who are part of that command and control station are at their stations and have been throughout this. So it's very smooth and very effective.

I'm thinking about all those people who were in that part of Pentagon that was struck by the aircraft. We know there are a number of men and women who serve there who aren't accounted for, and presumably, there are casualties and fatalities there. But the command and control functions are totally intact.

WOODRUFF: But General Clark, what do you say to Americans -- and this is same version of the question I put to Sen. Nunn, who would say we thought we lived in the safest country on Earth, and now we find out that places that we thought were invulnerable -- the Pentagon, of all places -- one of most secure locations -- in Washington, much less in the country -- the twin towers of the Trade Center, a building that had already come under terrorist attack and had been under increased security -- to know that these kind of places -- and we have been told -- at least I'm informed that Sen. Orrin Hatch has said to some of my colleagues at CNN there was an indication that Camp David may have been a target of the jet liner that crashed in Pennsylvania. This is the sort of thing that makes people want to reevaluate everything.

CLARK: I have heard the same rumor about Camp David.

We know that for all of our unique power in the world today, the United States is also uniquely vulnerable. We have been targeted for years but a number of these groups, and many people have warned for some time there's really now ultimate protect against terrorism, and particularly international terrorism. There's no telling how many of these efforts that are similar, but lesser in scale, have been broken up by the United States or by allies. Yet this one has succeeded. I know there will be some hard questions asked.

But Judy, one thing that comes through very clearly in this is that in an era where global communications are the way they are and there is movement of people and ideas and communication it's not possible to have only one nation deal with problem of international terrorism; greater international cooperation and coordination is required. And certainly, no state should be supporting and sponsoring the presence inside its borders, or the activities out of its borders, of international terrorists. That's one very important message that comes from this terrible tragedy, and I'm sure our government will drive this home very strongly in all of international fora.

I was just on the phone with people in Europe, and as you probably know, NATO headquarters as responded by ordering the evacuation. Of course, by the North Atlantic Charter, an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all of NATO. How this will play itself out in coordination with our allies remains to be seen, but here's clearly an area where the United States desperately does need the support of all of our allies, and I'm sure we will have that support as we deal with the consequences of this tragedy.

WOODRUFF: Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO commander, joining us from Little Rock, Arkansas -- General, thank you for joining us once again today.

CLARK: Thank you, Judy -- thank you.

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